Tool holder

ABSTRACT

A tool holder includes two pawls engaged into a chamber of a housing and each pivotally attached to the housing with a pivot axle and each having a sector gear, and the sector gears of the pawls are engaged with each other for controlling the pawls to pivot relative to the housing and to grasp or grip an object between the pawls, two soft or resilient sheaths are attached onto the pawls respectively for protecting the pawls and for softly or resiliently engaging with the object and for preventing the object from being scraped by the pawls, and one or more spring biasing devices are engaged with the pawls and the housing for biasing the pawls to stably grasp or grip the object.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a tool holder, and more particularly to a tool holder including a ratchet engaging or retaining mechanism for stably or solidly engaging with the tool members to be held and supported by the tool holder and for allowing the tool members to be easily and quickly secured or attached or mounted to the tool holder and to be easily and quickly disengaged or detached from the tool holder.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Typical tool holders comprise a number of spaced tool receiving recesses formed or defined by separated supporting walls for receiving or engaging with the fasteners or the tool members that are to be held and supported by the tool holder and that are arranged to be easily and quickly disengaged or detached from the tool holder.

For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,812,976 to Rempel, U.S. Pat. No. 4,310,094 to Hotchkiss, Jr., and U.S. Pat. No. 4,932,625 to Hochkiss, Jr. disclose three of the typical tool holders each comprising a number of spaced tool receiving recesses or openings formed or defined by ridges or open loops for receiving or anchoring and engaging with the tool members to be held and supported by the tool holder.

However, the tool members are simply clamped between the ridges or open loops such that the tool members may not be stably or solidly anchored or retained to the tool holder and may have a good chance to be disengaged or detached from the tool holder inadvertently.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,848,714 to Ziaylek, Jr. et al. discloses another typical tool holder comprising two pairs of springable clamp arms each equipped with rollers at the frees thereof for facilitating entry and removal of the air cylinder of a self-contained breathing apparatus.

However, similarly, the tool members are simply clamped between the springable clamp arms such that the tool members may not be stably or solidly anchored or retained to the tool holder and may have a good chance to be disengaged or detached from the tool holder inadvertently.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,005,710 to Hofer discloses a further typical tool holder comprising a foam block attached or mounted or provided on a frame and having incisions for receiving or anchoring and engaging with the tool members to be held and supported by the tool holder.

However, the foam block of the typical tool holder is made of foamable materials and may be easily and quickly aged or hardened or damaged after use, and may be easily and quickly deformed by the tool members held and supported by the foamable materials of the tool holder such that the tool members may not be stably or solidly anchored or retained to the tool holder after use and may have a good chance to be disengaged or detached from the tool holder inadvertently.

The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional tool holders for holding and supporting various tool members.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a tool holder including a ratchet engaging or retaining mechanism for stably or solidly engaging with the tool members to be held and supported by the tool holder and for allowing the tool members to be easily and quickly secured or attached or mounted to the tool holder and to be easily and quickly disengaged or detached from the tool holder.

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a tool holder comprising a housing including a chamber formed therein, two pawls engaged into the chamber of the housing and each pivotally attached to the housing with a pivot axle for allowing the pawls to be pivoted relative to the housing and to grasp or grip an object between the pawls, the pawls each including a sector gear, and the sector gears of the pawls being meshed or engaged with each other for controlling or limiting the pawls to pivot relative to the housing, two soft or resilient sheaths attached onto the pawls respectively for protecting the pawls and for softly or resiliently engaging with the object and for preventing the object from being scraped or damaged by the pawls, and a spring biasing device engaged with the pawls and the housing for biasing the pawls to stably grasp or grip the object and arranged for allowing the object to be easily and quickly disengaged or detached from the pawls.

The housing includes two pairs of engaging holes formed in the housing for pivotally or rotatably engaging with the pivot axles of the pawls and for stably and pivotally attaching the pawls to the housing.

The spring biasing device includes a hook end engaged with the sector gear of the pawl, a loop formed in the middle portion and engaged with the pivot axle, and a free end engaged with the housing for biasing the pawls to solidly or stably grasp or grip the object.

The housing includes a magnetic member attached thereto for attracting or attaching or mounting the housing onto a metallic supporting member. The housing includes two ears extended outwardly therefrom for pivotally engaging with hook members that may support the other objects.

Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a careful reading of the detailed description provided hereinbelow, with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of illustrating the operation of a tool holder in accordance with the present invention;

FIGS. 2, 3 are the other perspective views of the tool holder;

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the tool holder;

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view of the tool holder taken along lines 5-5 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view of the tool holder taken along lines 6-6 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view illustrating the attaching or mounting of the tool holder to the other supporting members;

FIGS. 8, 9 are partial exploded views illustrating the attaching or mounting of the tool holder to the other supporting members;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view illustrating the attaching or mounting of the tool holder to the other supporting members;

FIG. 11 is an enlarged partial perspective view illustrating the attaching or mounting of the tool holder to the other supporting members;

FIGS. 12, 13 are cross sectional views similar to FIG. 6, illustrating the operation of the tool holder;

FIGS. 14, 15 are further partial exploded views illustrating the other arrangement of the tool holder; and

FIG. 16 is a perspective view illustrating one of the units of the tool holder.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to the drawings, and initially to FIGS. 1-6, a tool holder 1 in accordance with the present invention comprises a receptacle or housing 10 including a chamber 11 formed therein and defined by two casings or arms or limbs 12, and including an opening 13 formed or defined between the limbs 12 and communicative with the chamber 11 of the housing 10, and including one or more (such as two) orifices 14 formed therein for attaching or mounting the housing 10 of the tool holder 1 to various support devices or facilities, for example, as shown in FIG. 7, one or more (such as two) attaching or sucker devices 80 may be attached or mounted or coupled to the orifices 14 of the housing 10 for attaching or mounting the housing 10 of the tool holder 1 to various supporting surfaces 90.

As shown in FIG. 8, one or more fasteners 81 may be attached or mounted or engaged with the orifices 14 of the housing 10 for attaching or mounting the housing 10 of the tool holder 1 to the other supporting surfaces 91. As shown in FIGS. 9-11, a supporting carrier 83 may further be provided for attaching or mounting one or more of the housings 10 of the tool holder 1. For example, the supporting carrier 83 includes one or more (such as two) folded flanges or rails 84 formed or provided thereon, and the housings 10 each include one or more (such as two) tracks 16 formed or provided thereon, such as defined by one or more grooves 15 for slidably engaging with rails 84 of the supporting carrier 83 and for slidably attaching or mounting the housings 10 to the supporting carrier 83.

The tool holder 1 may further include one or more magnets or magnetic members 20 attached thereto for engaging with the supporting carrier 83 (FIGS. 4-5, 9, 11) and for detachably attaching or mounting the housings 10 to the supporting carrier 83, the supporting carrier 83 may further include one or more apertures 85 formed therein (FIG. 10) for engaging with fasteners (not shown) which may be used for attaching or mounting or hanging the housing 10 of the tool holder 1 to the further supporting surfaces 92. The attaching or mounting of the housings 10 to various supporting surfaces 90-92 are not related to the present invention and will not be described in further details.

The tool holder 1 further includes one or more (such as two) pawls 30 engaged into the chamber 11 of the housing 10 and each pivotally or rotatably attached or mounted or coupled to the limbs 12 or the housing 10 with two protrusions or a pivot axle 31, for example, as shown in FIGS. 2-5, the housing 10 includes two pairs of engaging holes 17 formed in the limbs 12 or the housing 10 for engaging with the protrusions or pivot axles 31 of the pawls 30 and for pivotally or rotatably attaching or mounting the pawls 30 to the housing 10 and for allowing the pawls 30 to be pivoted relative to the housing 10, the pawls 30 each include a sector gear 32 formed therein or attached or mounted thereto, and the sector gears 32 of the pawls 30 are meshed or engaged with each other for determining or limiting or controlling the pawls 30 to pivot or rotate relative to the housing 10.

For example, as shown in FIGS. 1, 6 and 12-13, the sector gears 32 of the pawls 30 are arranged to allow the pawls 30 to be pivoted or rotated upwardly relative to the housing 10 only (FIG. 12), or to prevent the pawls 30 from being pivoted or rotated downwardly relative to the housing 10. In operation, the tool members or the other objects 88 to be attached or mounted or supported by the tool holder 1 may be engaged with the pawls 30 and may pivot or rotate the pawls 30 upwardly relative to the housing 10 until the object 88 is engaged between the pawls 30, and the object 88 may then be stably clamped or anchored or retained between the pawls 30 when the object 88 is released, best shown in FIGS. 1 and 13.

It is preferable that the pawls 30 each include a soft or resilient outer covering or sheath 33 attached or mounted or engaged onto the outer peripheral portions of the pawls 30 respectively for protecting the pawls 30 and for softly or resiliently engaging with the object 88 and for preventing the object 88 from being scraped or damaged by the pawls 30. One or more (such as two) spring biasing devices 40 may further be provided and engaged between the pawls 30 and the housing 10, and each include a hook end 41 for engaging with the holes 34 of the sector gears 32 or of the pawls 30 (FIG. 4), a loop 42 formed or provided on the middle portion thereof for engaging with the pivot axle 31, and a free end 43 for engaging with the housing 10 (FIGS. 6, 12-13) and for biasing or forcing the pawls 30 to stably engage with the object 88 and to stably or solidly anchor or retain the object 88 to the tool holder 1.

As shown in the drawing figures, one or more (such as two) hook members 50 may further be provided and pivotally or rotatably attached or mounted or coupled to the limbs 12 or the housing 10 which may include one or more (such as two) brackets or ears 18 extended outwardly therefrom for pivotally or rotatably engaging with the hook members 50 and for suitably attaching or mounting or supporting the hook members 50 to the limbs 12 or the housing 10, and the hook members 50 may be provided for further attaching or supporting the other objects or tool members (not shown).

In operation, as shown in FIG. 12, the tool member or object 88 may be engaged into or through the opening 13 of the housing 10 and may be engaged with the bottom portions of the pawls 30 and may pivot or rotate the pawls 30 upwardly relative to the housing 10 until the object 88 is engaged between the pawls 30, and the object 88 may then be stably clamped or anchored or retained between the pawls 30 and may be prevented from being disengaged from the pawls 30 when the object 88 is released (FIG. 13) by the weight of the object 88 and/or the pawls 30, and/or by the spring biasing forces of the spring biasing devices 40. It is to be noted that the object 88 may be easily and quickly secured or attached or mounted to the tool holder 1 and may also be easily and quickly disengaged or detached from the tool holder 1.

Alternatively, as shown in FIGS. 14-16, the tool holder 1 in accordance with the present invention may comprise two or more receptacles or housings 101 each including-a chamber 11 formed therein and defined by two casings or arms or limbs 12 for pivotally or rotatably attaching or mounting or coupling two pawls 30, each including a channel 151 formed in the rear portion thereof for slidably receiving or engaging with couplers 70, in which the couplers 70 each include two end portions 71 for slidably engaging with the channels 151 of the housings 101 and for detachably attaching or mounting or coupling the housings 101 together, and each include one or more (such as two) openings 72 formed therein for such as weight reducing purposes or the like. It is preferable that the housings 101 each include a recess 73 formed therein for receiving or engaging with the magnets or magnetic members 20 or the like.

Accordingly, the tool holder in accordance with the present invention includes a ratchet engaging or retaining mechanism for stably or solidly engaging with the tool members to be held and supported by the tool holder and for allowing the tool members to be easily and quickly secured or attached or mounted to the tool holder and to be easily and quickly disengaged or detached from the tool holder.

Although this invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure has been made by way of example only and that numerous changes in the detailed construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed. 

1. A tool holder comprising: a housing including a chamber formed therein, two pawls engaged into said chamber of said housing and each pivotally attached to said housing with a pivot axle for allowing said pawls to be pivoted relative to said housing, said pawls each including a sector gear, and said sector gears of said pawls being engaged with each other for controlling said pawls to pivot relative to said housing, two sheaths attached onto said pawls respectively for protecting said pawls, and a spring biasing device engaged with said pawls and said housing for biasing said pawls.
 2. The tool holder as claimed in claim 1, wherein said housing includes two pairs of engaging holes formed in said housing for engaging with said pivot axles of said pawls and for pivotally attaching said pawls to said housing.
 3. The tool holder as claimed in claim 1, wherein said spring biasing device includes a hook end engaged with said sector gear, a loop engaged with said pivot axle, and a free end engaged with said housing.
 4. The tool holder as claimed in claim 1, wherein said housing includes a magnetic member attached thereto.
 5. The tool holder as claimed in claim 1, wherein said housing includes two ears extended outwardly therefrom for pivotally engaging with hook members. 